CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Ever think of Putnam County for your next weekend getaway?

Lowell Wilks thinks you should.

With its small towns, rural scenery and rich history, Putnam County is perfectly suited for sightseers looking for a change of pace or state residents out to explore their back yard, said Wilks, a member of the Kanwaha Gateway Society.

To tap into the area's potential, the society is in the process of applying for federal approval to make W.Va. 62 from Nitro to Point Pleasant a West Virginia Scenic Byway.

The idea of the byway is to draw tourists down into Putnam County from Point Pleasant in Mason County, Wilks said.

"In Point Pleasant, you find a tremendous amount of history buffs," he said.

The same kind of people would enjoy the history and culture of Putnam County, especially in towns such as Buffalo and Eleanor, he said.

It's just a matter of drawing them into the county, and a federally recognized byway connecting the area could do just that, he said.

The goal is to eventually get visitors to associate the Putnam County area with popular tourist towns such as Point Pleasant, similar to the Amish County in Ohio, Wilks said.

"We want the thinking to be the same," he said. "Whether you're in Point Pleasant or Nitro, it's only 40 miles apart, but we want people thinking they're in the same place."

Once tourists decide to follow the byway into Putnam County from Point Pleasant, it's not much of a stretch for them to continue to Nitro for the antique malls or on to the racetrack, he said.

"The area has a little bit of everything to appeal to most people," Wilks said. "Everything from history buffs, families out for a weekend excursion to retired couples."

While there's something for everyone, Wilks does not expect to draw visitors from far away cities, but rather people from  Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia - the day-trippers.

It's the day-trippers that Sandra Martin usually finds in her Buffalo store.

Martin and her husband Steve opened S&S Framed Art and Gifts in Buffalo about three years ago.

The store, which specializes in framed pictures, has had visitors from across the nation, Martin said, but with the current economy and the high gas prices last summer, the majority of her costumers are now from the tri-state area.

The store, located in Buffalo on W.Va. 62, is off the beaten trail for most tourists, but it's a sense of nostalgia for simpler times and a desire for small-town charm that drives many of her visitors to the store.

It's also that small-town friendliness and attention that Martin believes will drive many tourists to Putnam County once the byway is in place.

"People like to come to the little quaint towns where they get that one-on-one attention they don't get in the big city," she said.

In general, scenic byways usually attract people who are interested in arts and crafts, history and those who enjoy a slower pace, Wilks said.

W.Va. 62 is still at least two years away from becoming a recognized scenic byway.

The Kanawha Gateway Society is currently seeking a letter of recommendation from the county commissions in Jackson, Mason and Putnam counties before submitting their application to the state Department of Transportation and then to the federal level.

"They look at the culture, history, recreation, natural resources and scenery," Wilks said of the nomination process. "We feel like we got a real strong thing in all of them. We don't have a Six Flags, but if you like hiking, biking and river excursions, this is the place."